❌

Reading view

Tesla driver says he was asleep and using FSD when he crashed into highway patrol cars

After this horrific crash involving a Tesla driver who said he was asleep and using the driver assist mode, the California Highway Patrol warns that "Despite its name, full self-driving is not fully autonomous. Technology does not relieve drivers of their responsibility to safely operate their vehicles."

Video released by CHP shows the Tesla speeding past flares, cones, and emergency lights where officers were on the scene of an earlier accident, before ramming into the back of a parked patrol vehicle. CHP says two officers were seriously injured in the accident and taken to a hospital.

Two Solano CHP officers were seriously injured when …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

A fake WhatsApp clone is showing up before the real version on the Play Store

After a Chrome clone was spotted on the Play Store earlier this week, a user on Reddit says they're seeing a fake version of WhatsApp in a "sponsored" slot above the real version. As reported earlier by Android Authority, the WhatsApp dupe has racked up over 500,000 downloads and, at the time of writing, its Play Store listing is still live.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The WhatsApp clone is from a developer going by "Agment Assets sallu" who doesn't currently have anything else listed on the Play Store. Their listing for the WhatsApp impostor has the same icon, screenshots, and text as the real version, but …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

iPhone Duo orders are already delayed into 2027

Apple iPhone Duo unfolded showing various widgets and icons.

Delivery estimates for the iPhone Duo slipped into next year in less than an hour after Apple opened preorders for it at 8AM ET on Friday.

At the time of writing we are seeing late January delivery dates for every configuration on Apple's website. The foldable is slated to launch in stores on October 23rd, and Apple typically reserves some units for in-store availability. So while online orders are delayed, you might be able to get one sooner in-person at an Apple Store.

The long delay could be due to high demand for Apple's first foldable iPhone, low supply on Apple's side, or a mix of both. Apple announced the iPhone Duo in September, f …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

ChatGPT can peek at your Chrome tabs now

A promotional screenshot of a ChatGPT sidebar running in Google Chrome

OpenAI's ChatGPT Atlas browser is gone, but now ChatGPT's Google Chrome extension is getting some upgrades that allow it to use the browser tabs you already have open. With the extension installed, OpenAI says ChatGPT can now view your browser tabs when you tag Chrome in ChatGPT's web or desktop app, posting a demo video showing someone asking ChatGPT to compare the three tabs they have open with sofas they're considering.

A few big upgrades for Chrome users today! We're bringing the power of computer use to anyone who uses Chrome.

First up: ChatGPT can now use your tabs in Chrome to make answers more useful and get things done for you.

If …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Trump calls off livestream of execution

U.S. Maj. Nidal Hasan is seen in a booking photo after being moved to the Bell County Jail on April 9, 2010 in Belton, Texas. | Getty Images

The execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan will not be livestreamed as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had previously announced.

Donald Trump announced the plan was off in a post on Truth Social:

I think streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan but, many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device. He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed. That said, the execution may be viewed in person by the immediate fami …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Microsoft and Japan took down a cybercrime network behind over a billion scam messages

A smartphone sits on top of a surface with red tape reading β€œDANGER.” Where one strip intersects the phone, it continues inside the phone’s screen.

We've all gotten a scam text about a nonexistent parking ticket or a fake package delivery, but hopefully you'll start seeing fewer of them. Microsoft says it helped dismantle a marketplace for scammers sending phishing messages like those around the world. Through an investigation with Japan's National Police Agency, it tracked scam activity back to a marketplace called YAM Store and a pair of phishing kits, CoGUI and Iron Man:

Since January 2026, YAM Store, CoGUI and Iron Man have collectively enabled more than one billion malicious messages targeting over 75,000 organizations worldwide, including more than 750 million messages geared to …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

YouTube sticks new labels on AI-generated songs

Simulated screenshots of the YouTube Music app showing where the AI label and info will be

YouTube is adding a "Made with AI" label to tracks that were "altered or fully generated" using AI, with a similar approach to its existing process for applying AI labels to videos. It doesn't sound like this will apply to any and all use of AI tools in making music, but according to YouTube, it includes things like "using a generative model to create the composition and vocals." In its rules for music partners who upload their songs, YouTube lays out how to disclose generative AI use, and says that if there's no disclosure, it may use "other signals" to decide if a song is AI-generated.

The label is rolling out starting today in the YouTub …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Apple’s new Find My-compatible remote will also work with your old Apple TV

You don't need to buy the new Apple TV 4K just to get the updated Siri Remote with Find My and a built-in speaker, as it works with every model released going back to the Apple TV HD and is available to buy standalone for $59.

Previous Siri Remotes had a basic iOS feature to help you find your misplaced remote, but this is better, with one notable catch. Now the remote has Find My support, but if you want to see exactly how far away it is on your iPhone with details like "20 feet," rather than simply "far" or "near," you will need to have an iPhone Duo, iPhone Air, or any iPhone 17 or later. Those are the only models that include its new N …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

It looks like Apple Music is getting a new icon

An image from Twitter user @avstorm showing the new and old Apple Music icons after iOS 27.2 beta 4

Apple Music's iconic red app icon has reportedly been replaced with a black-and-white version in the latest iOS 27.2 beta, 9to5Mac reports. The eighth note on the icon also appears to have a slightly sharper angle than the original. A new Apple Music logo was also spotted last month on the Apple Music Hall website, so the company could be refreshing its app icon to match.

According to 9to5Mac, the new icon is a black music note on a white background in light mode, or the opposite in dark mode. The icon's not the only thing that's been drained of color, either - 9to5Mac also says Apple Music widgets now have black backgrounds and the app now …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

The feds are looking into reports of Tesla’s robotaxis speeding through school zones

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it's evaluating allegations that Tesla's 1,000 or so robotaxis using its automated driving system are exceeding "posted speed limits in active school zones." Waymo's robotaxis have also faced similar inquiries, including for illegally passing school buses and hitting a child near a California elementary school.

NHTSA:

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a DP on September 23, 2026, requesting an investigation into model year (MY) 2026 Tesla Robotaxis (Model Y and Cybercab) with the Automated Driving System (ADS) engaged. The Petitioner alleges that the ADS exceeds poste …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Facebook will let you customize your feed algorithm using AI

A screenshot of Meta’s Your Algorithm feature in a menu on Facebook

Facebook's new "Your Algorithm" feature will let you directly add and manage topics you want to see in your feed and Facebook Reels. Meta says your recommendations "respond right away" after you make updates using the new feature by hitting "interested" or "not interested" for different topics. Your Algorithm previously launched on Instagram earlier this year, and Meta also launched a similar "Dear Algo" feature on Threads.

Facebook users will be able to access Your Algorithm or select "interested" or "not interested" from the three dots menu on individual posts. The "interested" and "not interested" buttons may also appear under posts, an …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Epic shifts to β€˜AI-accelerated development’ for upcoming Disney game

An illustration of the Epic Games logo.

Epic Games plans to use AI to generate code and art for an unannounced Disney game, which is now delayed from its original March release window, according to a report from Bloomberg. The project's developers have been given an "AI-first" mandate directing them to use tools like Anthropic's Claude more to finish the game.

According to Bloomberg, one of the game's directors said in a message to staff, "No more hand-written code." Staff were also told that all of the game's art will be "generated with full AI workflows." In a statement given to Bloomberg, Epic Games spokesperson Jake Jones said the company is "embracing AI-accelerated develop …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Decade-old RAM is making a comeback

Circuitboard with error message.

CPU makers have noticed that the seemingly unending RAM price hikes are making it tough for a lot of us to upgrade our PCs. Their solution? A return to last-gen DDR4 RAM. Intel and AMD are making new CPUs that'll support the older, more affordable type of memory.

On Friday, Gigabyte announced that two of its motherboard lines will support "upcoming" processors built on Intel's LGA 1700 socket. That socket debuted in 2021 with the 12th gen Alder Lake CPUs and supported both DDR4 RAM and the then-new DDR5 RAM. Intel dropped it for a DDR5-only approach in 2024. But according to Gigabyte, the dual format support is now being revived, with new …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Nikon microscopic video competition winner disqualified for using generative AI

A still from Dr. Ning Xu’s disqualified video for Nikon’s 2026 Small World in Motion contest
The original first place video used AI in post-processing. | Image: Dr. Ning Xu

Nikon says the video that originally won first place in its Small World in Motion contest "did not comply with the competition rules regarding generative AI." BBC reports that the original first place video from Dr. Ning Xu claimed to show "tiny, hair-like structures called cilia moving in the airway of a child with the respiratory condition PCD." Nikon said last week that it was reviewing the video following skepticism online about its authenticity.

In a comment on LinkedIn, Dr. Xu admitted to using AI for the video: "An unsupervised neural-network method was subsequently used for AI-assisted post-processing to distinguish and visualize f …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Apple and LG leak shows new β€˜tap to control’ HomeKit features

Digital photo illustration of a smart home.

A post on X from "pdfu," who has previously posted leaks and renders of suspected Apple features and LG smart home gear, shows new details of rumored Apple Home accessories from LG. According to the new leak, they could include an NFC-based "Proximity Control" feature that pops up a hint for a device's controls in the iPhone's Dynamic Island, simply by putting the phone close to it. The post also says it's executed using the Matter protocol, but appears to be an Apple Home-specific feature, and follows yesterday's leak showing a "tap to setup without power" pairing feature and other upcoming devices.

Apple's "second-party" LG accessories w …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

A week with Googlebooks: four notes from our testing so far

An HP Googlebook 14 laptop with the Android Play Store open.
Software, software, software. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Google's new operating system is off to a rocky start. The five newly launched Googlebook laptops have hardware that ranges from great to excellent, but the software in its current state is the weak point. There are four of us on staff at The Verge actively testing Googlebooks and, frankly, our internal Slack discussions have been mostly filled with collective venting of frustrations, disappointments, and bewilderment.

The promise of Googlebooks as a fresh and smartly designed alternative to Windows or Mac for Android phone owners sounds great, but there's more than just a few kinks and quirks to work out. Some of its issues and challenges …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Anthropic launches free AI security scans for open-source projects

A robot with the claude logo on its face.

Anthropic's offering to help open-source projects track down security vulnerabilities with a new service called OSS Scanner. It says open-source projects that opt-in will get "thorough, periodic security scans by our strongest models at no cost." That could mean open-source projects get alerted about possible security issues sooner, but the trade-off is that OSS Scanner's reports don't come with human review:

The outputs of this opt-in vulnerability scanner will be fully model-generated, without human review or triage. This will enable faster and more frequent scanning, but means that it is possible reports will be incorrect or invalid. Th …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

New York accuses TikTok of serving users β€˜placebo’ safety features

Vector art of the TikTok logo.

New York is alleging that thousands of TikTok users, including kids and teens, were unknowingly given "ghost" versions of the platform's safety features rather than the working versions. Reuters reports the allegation is part of an "updated, sealed version" of New York's 2024 lawsuit against TikTok, which was "later ordered unsealed by a judge."

According to the new allegations, TikTok's "experiment" effectively blocked some users from accessing features like an option to reset your algorithm, which can potentially help users avoid harmful content popping up in their feed. As Reuters notes, users in the experiment "believed they had activa …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

GTA VI will have in-game podcasts and at least six radio stations

A screenshot from the Grand Theft Auto VI Netflix special showing a crowd around parked cars

Music is always a major part of a Grand Theft Auto game, and Rockstar Games says GTA VI will have the series' "biggest and widest-ranging selection of in-game radio yet." There will be at least six radio stations players can listen to in vehicles or on foot, ranging from talk radio to classic rock: Cocoteo FM, Back Country Radio, AfroBank FM, The Chamber 106.6, Flash FM, and Dirty South Classics.

You can sample the stations on Rockstar's website, along with six singles from GTA VI's official soundtrack, announced earlier this month, featuring artists like Yung Lean and Travis Scott.

But there's more to listen to than music. Rockstar also …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is available for preorder for $5,999

A Microsoft Surface RTX Spark Dev Box on a desk by a monitor

Microsoft's Nvidia-powered Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is available for preorder now directly, and slated to ship in November for just about $6,000. It's pricier than the DGX Spark mini PC Nvidia launched last year, but PC prices have been climbing due to shortages of RAM and other components.

The Dev Box's flat, 3D-printed anodized aluminum chassis doubles as a heatsink and resembles the top vents on an Xbox Series X. It's launching alongside the new Surface Laptop Ultra and runs on Nvidia's Arm-based RTX Spark platform and 128GB of unified memory. With that much memory, along with a 100-watt thermal envelope and Nvidia's Tensor cores, you …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  
❌